leaving pistol loaded

[Rock Island]

I did that when I was packing one of CVA's brass frame '51 Navy's years ago before I got my blackhawk. Never had a problem and it can get humid here in the summer. Back then I was shooting maybe once a month when I had time and the revolver always fired all five with no problems.

 

[Dphar]

When I carried a C&B revolver all the time it was loaded all the time.
Now I shot it for fresh loads 2-3 times a week then loaded it after cleaning so this hardly falls into category of leaving it loaded with the same loads for long periods. But I was carrying the gun. If inside a ML or C&B gun will stay viable for decades. This revolver was hardly ever empty for a couple of years.
I got pretty darned good with it too.
I have left a FL pistol loaded (no prime) for well over 6 months hanging on the wall with no ill effects.
I change out the ammo in my carry guns pretty regular since I like having fresh ammo in them. But they don't load from the muzzle either.

Now if someone wants to load a pistol or revolver and leave it for 10 years this does not make him necessarily wrong its his business. BUT if considering it for self-defense I would not recommend it. Bill Hickok shot his Navies every morning or so I have read. Shot one cleaned and loaded it then shot the other cleaned and loaded it.
There are several fully loaded handguns in my house right now and a couple of other things with loaded magazines. I see it as silly to do otherwise. Others might think I am silly. But history is on my side.

There are too many druggies, lunatics and such in the world for me to feel safe. While its extremely unlikely that someone it going to break into my house in my small community it DOES HAPPEN. A friend shot a guy in his house who KNEW he was in there at the time but wanted in his gun/reloading room which he had seen when he simply walked in unannounced a few minutes earlier. He was chased off, friend armed himself and the guy got a tool from the attached garage and was beating on the back door to break it when his goofy brain figured it opened out. He then ran down the hall toward the gun room and my friend shot him as he passed a doorway.
Friend was on the phone with the Sheriffs office ONE BLOCK AWAY when this occurred. Remember when seconds count help is only minutes away.
The perp, a transient of some sort, died on the life flight to Billings.
He had previously pulled a knife in a bar and had his arm wrenched by whoever took it away from him. The sheriffs dept then had him checked out and TURNED HIM LOOSE (our jail cells at the Courthouse are surplus brig cells from a USS Maine class battleship so they no longer can keep anyone overnight in them since they are too old and the poor criminal might be uncomfortable). Thus a trouble maker passed from the gene pool. He will never do another home invasion.
Yes, its legal to shoot someone who enters your house "in a riotous to tumultuous manner" armed or not in Montana. We have not yet gotten so deep into PC that its no longer legal to defend yourself.
We DO get loonies here since we are right on the major route from NY to Seattle and the cars running up and down I-90 have some pretty scary people in them at times. Like every week.

And remember, an armed society is a polite society.

Dan

 

[Dphar]

They generally left one empty chamber to leave the hammer on. Wonder wads would proabably be better than grease and consider using 777 or anouther of the less corrosive powder substitutes.
Stew

Some of the substitutes are not stable enough for long term loading. BP is very stable and will not cause corrosion unless it gets wet.
I am not yet convinced that 777 is less corrosive than BP.

Dan

 

[Homesteader]

Although one can leave C&B revolvers loaded for some time, and they'll usually go off when needed, they won't always. Wild Bill knew that, which is one of the reasons he shot and reloaded every morning. (If I've got my shootists straight.)

In fact, after McCall sneak-shot him at the card table, didn't his revolver fail to go off a couple of times when the townsfolk were after him? Or am I thinking of someone else? :hmm:

 

[Dispatch]

after reading many of historic accounts, it's up to personal preference. some say 24 hours, others say six months. i my self never keep it loaded, i have the remmm 58.ps. welcome to the forum, don't be afraid to ask any questions, no matter how of the wall they might be.

Those damn 58's !!!! :cursing: Seeing so many reenactors with them reminds me of the saying from BigDog about owning a Harley, "Stand out from the crowd, don't be just one of the heard". That's why I carry a Le Mat! Moooo ! :grin:

 

[zaboomafoozarg]

There was an incident of an old antique heirloom muzzleloading rifle hanging on the wall of a house. The owner from 100+ years ago left it loaded, as most people did back in the day.

100 years later, in present time, some kid grabs the thing and thinking it's just some old antique plaything, points it at his friend and pulls the trigger. Boom, dead. Not sure if it was cap or flintlock but still...

BP guns CAN be left loaded a long time..

 

[bkovire]

well if i had the funds i would and, a colt and, a few others from and before the civil war, it is the brass army, not many of them i would think. :idunno: :idunno: :idunno:

 

[bkovire]

well it is one of those things, i my self would do what ol' wild bill did, every mor'ing go out an' shoot all six then reload with new, it is said he would spend an hour doing this for he had so many guns. it depends on the book you read.

 

[zaboomafoozarg]

Hahah, well, so would I, if I lived back when Bill lived, back when everyone and their mother carried a gun and there were no policemen around and few laws and a weak legal system, and anyone at any time could be like, "hey, I just realized I have this gun here, and I can jack this guy and get away with it!"

But it's a bit different now. :thumbsup:

 

[bkovire]

ever live in l.a, cal. i did and let me tell ya it is gun city, i was shocked to see first hand how many ding dongs would blast off a clip or two, and even the ones with side arms, i know this don't fit here but. i had to say it. and the pd would not even show up till they had a force of 60 or more, at least it looked too be that many. now back to the post, if under the right environment, say low humidity and the temps then yes it could be store loaded for a very long time.

 

[Rock Island]

Try living in the same town, or on the same street as some of those crazy people, it's a whole different experience.
Back then I packed the brass Navy because it was what I could afford before I got my Blackhawk, GP100, and Beretta .380 backup. I loved shooting that revolver, and tried to do it as much as possible, but in them days I didn't have my own range so sneaking off into the woods once in a while was all I could do. I used to bounce cans along on the ground with my shots trying to perfect my point shooting technique. I never went in for fast draw stuff but I got plenty good with that piece. Still do OK with it, I still have it, and another identical one I picked up from a Confederate reenactor a few years ago along with many steel frame revolvers to keep them company. Back then I wasn't always able to get real black and had to use the pyrodex stuff, neither seemed to be effected by heat, cold, humidity, or sitting. Longest I would go without using the piece was probably a month or two during the winter when the snow got deep. These days I just stroll out the door and fire the piece into the trash can if I want, it always needs vent holes, but I don't need to keep my BP shooters loaded anymore full time.
Nothing wrong with having loaded guns in the house if the kids can't get them, or you got no kids around, I like to keep loaded guns on my person, and within easy reach. If you had to live near some of the people around here you would be packing also.

 

[CaptainKirk]

What is the intended purpose of keeping the gun loaded...defense, or just so you don't have to load it next time you want to shoot it?
Just curious......